Earl’s Bucks County

Peace Tree Farm (inspired by the Native American word “tohickon,” which means “peace tree”) is located in Kintnersville, in Upper Bucks County. The farm, purchased by Lloyd and Candy Traven in 1983, encompases an acre of greenhouses on a historic 25-acre farm. In February 2009 Peace Tree Farm became one of the first greenhouse operations in the region to obtain organic certification. They grow herbs, begonias, poinsettias as well as specialty annuals and blooming potted crops, mostly for wholesale. You can learn more about them at their Web site.

Look for Bucks County Taste on Facebook and Twitter!

Related posts:

1. Earl’s Bucks County goes local
2. Getting local food on the local table
3. Earl’s goes into hibernation…

Another good place to go for Easter goodies.

You can reach them by phone at 215.794.9910, online at www.towncrierbakery.com, or on Facebook.

Look for Bucks County Taste on Facebook and Twitter! 

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1. Tax season

In the meantime, I’m off to do some errands, including a long overdue visit to the Town Crier Bakery in Lahaska which has just brought sticky buns out of the oven (sigh). They say if you whisper “HUMP DAY” to Sandy, you’ll receive a free sticky bun. Any excuse.

I’ll also be updating the Food Events in Bucks County calendar later today. Be sure to check in to plan your weekend.

Look for Bucks County Taste on Facebook and Twitter!

Related posts:

1. Tidbit: Town Crier Bakery

As I’ve learned more about food in Bucks County — and eaten more of it — I’ve become much more sensitive to what appears on my restaurant plate. Last August we were dining locally and steamed asparagus showed up as a side. Asparagus in August? I don’t know where it came from, but I do know it wasn’t nearby. (Asparagus likes spring weather, not the sweltering heat of a Pennsylvania August.) It was also thick with a tough skin. Hardly worth the trip it made from wherever. But even more surprising to me was the chef’s choice — asparagus, in August, when almost every other vegetable was growing within a 10-mile radius.

Connecting restaurants and farmers is harder than it seems. Chefs need quality, consistency and convenience. Bring me good stuff, when I can use it, and to my door. Farmers spend their days, well, farming and don’t have much time or gas money to run around to restaurants making small deliveries.

Despite these obstacles, more chefs are making the effort. In Bucks County, there at least three restaurants – Earl’s Bucks County in Lahaska, and The Down to Earth Café and newly-opened Maize Restaurant, both in Perkasie – that are focusing on locally-sourced food. On the other side of the river, in Lambertville, Hamilton’s Grill Room and Kindle Café both use local ingredients. I was intrigued. How were they doing it? What I discovered is that we are on the cusp, right here in the Delaware Valley, of a shift in thinking, practice and market demand. It’s been happening in other parts of the country – most notably California – but it’s just gaining momentum in Bucks County.

Ask most chefs why they want locally-sourced ingredients and they’ll tell you point blank it’s about quality and freshness – ultimately translating into better taste. “The food from out of state is, on average, coming 1,200 miles,” says Vincent Peterson, the chef and owner of Kindle Café, a vegetarian supper club and caterer in Lambertville. “It’s picked early so it will ripen on the road.” Buying local eliminates the transport time and extra handling. Ingredients are fresher, last longer and taste better. And, many local farmers are growing organic or nearly organic, a selling point with many customers.

Sourcing local also means chefs can be more hands on. “I can talk to the farmers,” says Maize chef Matt McPhelin, who likes to visit area farms to see how they grow, harvest and process the product. “They’ll show me what they have growing nice this season. Then I can plan the menu around that.”

What about the challenges of planning a menu around seasonal availability? Earl’s Bucks County, which recently re-birthed itself with a locally-focused menu, plans to change offerings to match the seasons. Maize, open just a short time, has already seen a dozen menu changes, depending on what McPhelin finds on his daily buying trips.

“It demands more creativity from me because I’m working with a limited palette,” Peterson says. “But it also makes my job easier because there are fewer choices.” As a diner, it means you may not find the same items every time you dine at a particular restaurant, but you will know it’s fresh.

Not to be diminished are the benefits that grow from supporting the local economy. “I like knowing that we’re helping local farms and that the money stays local,” says J. Ryman Maxwell, who opened The Down to Earth Café last September. Maxwell uses vegetables and fruit from two nearby farms, Blooming Glen Farm and Penn Vermont. McPhelin gets his meats from Hendricks (Telford), Blooming Glen Pork (Blooming Glen) and Bolton’s (Silverdale).

Maxwell has noticed that even in the short time his café has been open, farmers are coming to him, wanting to sell their goods and asking what products he’d like. Ultimately, this is how it should evolve, he says, with supply shaping itself to demand, and local producers putting themselves on firmer economic footing, knowing what their customers want and will buy. “I’m learning as I go, too,” he says, “I’m learning from the growers and they’re learning from us. The local farmer is realizing, I can branch out. There’s a market for this.”

How does the product get to the restaurant? Ah, therein lies the problem. Most of the chefs go and get it themselves. “It’s nice in theory,” Maxwell says, “but it’s a full-time job to work with all the different growers and farmers.” It takes a lot of coordination and time to meet with people and pick up orders daily or weekly.

Mike Azzara is very familiar with this problem. As manager of the seasonal Lawrenceville (NJ) Farmers Market and as a community outreach worker for the Northeast Organic Farming Association, he knew many farmers and chefs. And both would complain to him. The chefs wanted good-quality, local produce. The farmers wanted to get their goods to the restaurants. So, he decided to take things into his own hands.

In 2008, Azzara began Zone 7, a food distribution company. He picked up goods from 10 farms and delivered it to 15 restaurants, all in Central New Jersey. Last year, the operation grew to include 20 farms in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania and 50 restaurants in Central and Northern New Jersey, putting $200,000 in the hands of local producers and high-quality, fresh goods into the hands of grateful chefs.

Azzara convened a gathering of his farmers and chefs in early February at Nomad Pizza in Hopewell to thank them and share his plans for the coming year. But they did most of the thanking. One after another praised Azzara for his efforts, and for creating Zone 7. As Ted Blew, a family farmer from Pittstown, NJ, put it, “Growing is easy. Putting up a farm stand in front is the next step. But going beyond to restaurants is very hard. It’s expensive. You need a distributor to make it happen. This was the missing link.”

The final “link” is perhaps the most important – the restaurant patron. These chefs and farmers are pioneers, in a way, but ultimately they won’t be successful unless customers buy and enjoy their products, and demand more local goods from the other restaurants and markets. I really should have said something when that asparagus showed up on my plate, but I wimped out. Now, however, I ask more questions, and praise the restaurant when they tell me the food is locally sourced. I guess it’s not enough to simply eat and be merry. If we care about our food, and our local economy, we need to eat and be active.

Look for Bucks County Taste on Facebook and Twitter!

Related posts:

1. September farm-to-table dinners
2. Earl’s Bucks County goes local
3. CSAs: It’s like having your own farm

First, let’s get the whole price thing out of the way. Most people I know (“locals”) have avoided Earl’s for the last few years due to a rather expensive menu and bar. Good, interesting food but…

So if that’s been keeping you away, it’s safe to come back. Both the menu and the price point have changed – the former toward an all-day, “family-friendly” yet still sophisticated selection, and the latter downward, to a reasonably priced and varied choice of items (tapas, small dishes, salads, sandwiches and entrees).

I’m not going to do a traditional restaurant review of the food. As we’ve mentioned, we don’t see ourselves as critics. That said, we have eaten our share of good food (!) and we enjoyed the samples of the new menu served at the preview party. It was an interesting variety of tastes, flavors and influences, fresh, and beautifully presented [see the photos]. And, need I say again, at a reasonable price for the ingredients, preparation and service.

Of most interest to me is the local food connection that Earl’s – now called Earl’s Bucks County – is aiming for. General Manager David Zukerman is focused on bringing in local ingredients and doing great things with them.

 And he’s done his homework. David has spent the last six months or so visiting local farm markets in Bucks and nearby, talking with food producers, meeting vendors and tasting. From my knowledge of local food sources, and from chatting with David last night, he’s obviously gotten around. He’s already bringing in some of these products and with a menu that will change with the seasons, plans to bring in more when the growing season starts. For example, you’ll see on the menu right now a cheese plate with local cheeses from Valley Shepherd Creamery, Cherry Grove Farm and Bobolink Dairy Farm, and a Speck Ham dish with apple marmalade made from Solebury Orchard apples. One of the entrees is an olive-brined chicken from Bolton Farms. You’ll also see Blue Moon Acres greens popping up here and there.

These, you might say, are the “slam-dunks.” Kind of easy local sources to go with. But it is February, after all. There’s not a lot growing around here. It will be interesting to see how the menu continues to evolve as the seasons change. David says he is still working on his beef sources, although his fish purveyor is sending him only sustainable seafood. There are also plans to grow a restaurant garden on the property and serve guests at a “Chef’s Table” al fresco.

The local/organic/sustainable approach doesn’t stop at the food. Earl’s wine list has been revamped to include some organic, sustainably grown wines and some local wines. A new feature will be a “Local Pour” – a glass of local Bucks County or Pennsylvania wine, always available, and starting with some of Chaddsford Winery’s best. And if you’re watching your budget, come to Earl’s on a Tuesday night with your own bottle. They’ll be happy to open it with no corkage fee, and will also offer 25% off wine on the restaurant’s list. They are even offering some organic alcohol at the bar – 360 Vodka  - and organic tequila and gin (who knew?).

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the service and ambiance at Earl’s. During the three weeks the restaurant was closed for renovations, the staff – many of them long-time employees – received training in the new menu, seeing how the food was prepared and getting to taste everything. They’re happy to describe any dish, and they do it with relish (no pun intended). In fact, in addition to a warm, friendly atmosphere, there is a palpable excitement among the staff – like they can’t wait to open the new Earl’s and start sharing the good stuff.

Earl’s Bucks County
2400 Street Road
New Hope PA 18938
215.794.4020
Open Tuesdays – Saturdays, 11:30 am – 10 pm
Sundays, 11:30 am to 8 pm

Look for Bucks County Taste on Facebook and Twitter!

Related posts:

1. Getting local food on the local table
2. Tidbit: Earl’s Bucks County starts a garden
3. Earl’s goes into hibernation…

The restaurant and bar will undergo some renovations, as well as the menu and prices (easier on the wallet). Casual, family-friendly and an all-day New American menu will appear when they reopen.

Stay posted on the new look and changes at the Peddlers Village blog, My Village Insider.

Related posts:

1. Earl’s Bucks County goes local
2. Tidbit: Earl’s Bucks County starts a garden
3. Getting local food on the local table

The chance to meet Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Lewis and Clark, and Betsy Ross doesn’t come along very often. Nor does the opportunity to dine on Colonial-style foods.

But opportunity knocks each January in Bucks County, when the Cock ‘N Bull Restaurant in Peddlers Village reprises its Evenings in the Colonial Kitchen. The special dinners began this past Monday, January 4th and continue every Monday through March 29th.

This is the 31st season for the Colonial Kitchen, and actors from the American Historical Theatre  take the parts of a variety of historic characters, playing usually two characters each night. They walk around the dining room in full Colonial dress and engage diners who are enjoying Queen Anne’s Pye (chicken pot pie, colonial-style), jambalaya, New England-style cod, boiled brisket of beef, chicken breast with sausage stuffing, Madeira ham and roast pork with sauerkraut.

It’s a fun experience and a chance to shake off the post-holiday winter doldrums. Diners can pick two entrees to try if they wish, plus they receive soup, a salad and dessert for a prix fixe $19.95 for adults and $10.95 for children 10 and younger.

More history is on display in the restaurant foyer, where re-enactors cook fish on a wooden plank, bake pie in a Dutch oven and roast beef on a spit. They also field questions about the cooking practices of the late 18th century.

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (215) 794-4000.

Here is the schedule for appearances by the Colonial personalities; choose your favorite in history:

Jan. 4 – Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock
Jan. 11 – Soldier and statesman the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron Von Steuben, who trained American troops for Gen. Washington
Jan. 18 – Sail maker and Revolutionary War powder boy James Forten and flagmaker Betsy Ross
Jan. 25 – Patriot/orator Patrick Henry and Continental Congressman James Wilson
Feb. 1 – President Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, the “father” of the U.S. Treasury
Feb. 8 – Harriet Tubman from the Underground Raiload and President Abraham Lincoln
Feb. 15 – Martha and George Washington and Annis Boudinot Stockton, the wife of New Jersey’s Richard Stockton, who signed the Declaration of Independence
Feb. 22 – President John Adams and his wife Abigail
March 1 – Philadelphia artist Charles Willson Peale and his wife Sarah
March 8 – Pirate Anne Bonney and pirate captive Mary Reed
March 15 – Suffragette Susan B. Anthony and an indentured servant
March 22 – Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
March 29 – Soldier Molly Pitcher and first lady Dolley Madison

Cock N’ Bull Restaurant
U.S. 202 & Route 263
Lahaska, PA 18931
(215) 794-4000
www.peddlersvillage.com

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I can’t vouch for all these places, but I’m certainly filing the piece for future reference. I’ll give you some excerpts from the ViperClub’s annual review of the hot wings to be found in their “beloved Upper Bucks County,” along with the list of the “top ten.”

(Note: I like to excerpt pieces from the Herald not only to support local journalism, but also because the Herald only archives two weeks of their issues online. The content will “disappear” from the Web soon, so this way we “save” it.)

Jack Scott and Brent Gobrecht, the two founding members of the ViperClub, take the responsibility upon themselves to inconspicuously frequent local establishments and rate them on the quality of their hot wings. Their rating criteria consist of a point system that critiques everything from the quality of the chicken, how it’s prepared and presented, the amount of “heat,” the flavor of the sauce – to even the value and price of the plate of wings.

“The sauce should have some heat,” says Brent. “Your lips should feel the spice for a few minutes after you’ve finished. They should wake you up a bit not just with the heat, but flavor too… The wing itself should be moist on the inside with a gentle crispiness to the outside.”

With so many establishments, it is a wonder how these two can try them all. “Well, we don’t go to places that don’t have a bar,” explains Jack. “There are really good local pizza places that make amazing wings, but there are simply too many. It would be impossible to hit every one. We needed to draw a line somewhere so having a bar is mandatory. In fact, we had to limit our geography from all of Bucks County to Upper Bucks, which is where we think the best wings can be found.”

“It was really hard this year” adds Jack. “Our points were all over the place and Brent and I didn’t agree at places where we usually do. We both agreed that places like McCoole’s in Quakertown (who are consistently in the top 10) should be up in the ‘Big Four,’ but I thought they could be the best of ’09 and Brent likes the new places, like The OBR.”

There is no doubt the economy has had an impact on everyone and price has become more of an issue this year as well. “You see?” Brent points out “The Heart of the Oak Pub has amazing wings, but who wants to pay $7 or $8 or even $9 for five or six wings? Wings are a blue collar food. You can fancy them up all you want, but I don’t think people want to spend that much.”

All of these places make some extraordinary wings and all of them are neat places to visit. Check them out and talk to the owners. They all have a story. Get out there and experience Upper Bucks County. Who knows? You might run into Jack and Brent.”

ViperClub’s Hot Wings Winners

1. Big Daddy’s Wagon Wheel Tavern (Quakertown)
2. McCoole’s Red Lion Inn (Quakertown)
3. Old Bethlehem Road Pub (Haycock)
4. Pineville Tavern (Pineville)
5. Heart of the Oak Pub (Buckingham)
6. Hart’s Tavern (Lahaska)
7. Fran’s Pub (New Hope)
8. The Farmhouse Tavern (Doylestown)
9. Gardenville Hotel (Gardenville)
10. Isaac Newton’s Pub (Newtown)

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1. Weekend Eats in Bucks County
2. A winter weekend in Bucks
3. Bars We Like – Part 1

Everyone has their standard Thanksgiving dishes – some you like, some you don’t. I thought I’d share some recipes, in case you are looking for new ideas. I asked local chefs and food experts to donate recipes and I threw in a few of mine. Maybe you can find a new family favorite here. Most are using seasonal ingredients, with a couple of exceptions. Hope you’ll forgive me. The recipes are all listed below. Tomorrow or Wednesday I’ll post wine suggestions for Thanksgiving, along with local wine choices.

For hors d’œuvres, try the Roasted Beet Pesto with Parmesan. This gem came from Chef Karen McGinn. She serves it with a dab of goat cheese on top, which I got from Flint Hill Farm in Coopersburg.

For dinner, here’s a selection of side dishes that really takes advantage of seasonal produce.  The Squash, Corn and Coconut Soup has become an instant favorite among our family and friends. Betty Cichy, food writer for the Bucks County Courier Times and Intelligencer highly recommends the Brussels Sprouts Braised in Cream. Macque Choux was another recent find of mine, and is a spicy, welcome change to the Thanksgiving menu. Chef Linda Jacobs of Soup to Nut Caterers in Washington Crossing offers her Roasted Acorn Squash with Apples for a tasty side dish. For stuffing that is “not-your-mother’s-stuffing,” try this Apple Cranberry Sage Dressing from Chef David Zukerman of Earl’s Bucks County in Lahaska. And finally, the Cranberry Port Gelee from Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer’s second volume of Canal House Cooking will have everyone ooh-ing and ah-ing.

You’re on your own for the turkey recipes.

Roasted Beet Pesto with Parmesan
From Chef Karen McGinn, Heaven On A Plate

INGREDIENTS
2 medium beets, roasted
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Goat cheese

HOW TO

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub and wash beets. Place each on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly in foil. Cook for 45 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife. Let beets cool.
2. Gently rub the skin from the beets and discard.
3. Put the beets in a food processor with the garlic and pine nuts. Puree the mixture until smooth. Add the parmesan and puree again. Slowly add the olive oil, still pureeing. Add additional salt if needed.
4. Serve with garlic crostini or toasted pita chips, with a dab of goat cheese on top. Can be prepared 3 days in advance.

Squash, Corn & Coconut Soup
Adapted from epicurious.com, via Chef Karen McGinn, Heaven On A Plate
Serves 8

INGREDIENTS
For soup:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 (2 1/2-pound) butternut squash
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/4 cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk (10 oz.)
2 cups corn kernels (16 oz.)
Sea salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of curry
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup heavy cream

For corn relish:
4 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
Sea salt
Pinch of sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups corn kernels (16 oz.)
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot

HOW TO
Make soup:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the halved squash on a large rimmed baking sheet and 1/2 cup of water to the sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until tender. Let cool. Remove seeds and pulp, and cut into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
2. In a large 4- to 5-quart heavy pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Add cilantro and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add squash pieces and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Stir in stock, coconut milk, corn, salt, nutmeg, curry and cayenne. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Using a stick (immersion) blender, puree to your preferred consistency. Swirl in heavy cream and extra chopped cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   NOTE: I skipped the corn relish below for our Thanksgiving meal, and just sprinkled some chopped cilantro over each bowl before serving.

Prepare corn relish while soup simmers:

1. Whisk together lime juice, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then slowly add oil and whisk until combined.
2. If using fresh corn, cook kernels in a saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well, then transfer to dressing along with cilantro and shallot and toss well to coat.
3. If using canned corn, just add to dressing along with cilantro and shallot and toss well to coat.

Finish soup:
Divide soup among bowls and gently stir 1/4 cup corn relish into each.

Cooks’ notes:

• Soup (without corn relish) can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat before serving.
• Corn relish can be made 1 hour ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

Brussels Sprouts Braised in Cream
From Betty Cichy, Bucks County Courier Times/Intelligencer
Originally from Cooks Illustrated, November 1995

From Betty: “I love Brussels sprouts, but I’d given up making them for the holidays because so many people won’t eat them. But last Thanksgiving I decided to try again. Even some guests who made funny looks when they saw me preparing the Brussels sprouts told me after dinner they loved them. The cream accentuates the sweetness of the sprouts and masks the cabbage flavor. If possible, use cream that hasn’t been ultra-pasteurized – Tanner Brothers Dairy in Richboro has it, and I’m sure some other local dairies do, too.”

INGREDIENTS
1 pound Brussels sprouts, small, firm, bright green
1 cup heavy cream
½ tsp table salt
Pinch fresh ground nutmeg
Ground black pepper
 
HOW TO

1. Rinse the Brussels sprouts, trim the stem end and remove any discolored leaves. If the sprouts are more than about 1½ inches in diameter, cut them in half through the stem end.
2. Bring sprouts, cream, and salt to boil in 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower heat, cover, and simmer (shaking pan once or twice to redistribute sprouts) until knife tip inserted into a Brussels sprout center meets no resistance, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with nutmeg and pepper and serve.

Macque Choux (pronounced Mach Shoo)
Adapted from RealCajunRecipes.com

I made this for the first time for a potluck in September and, wow, is it wonderful. The best I can describe it is a Cajun version of creamed corn – but that’s not really fair. It is so beyond creamed corn.

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 stick butter
4 cups fresh cut corn (32 oz.)
1 can Ro-tel brand tomatoes
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
1 – 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp Chipotle pepper
1 Tbsp sugar (less if the corn is sweet)
1 1/2 tsp salt (or less, to taste)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 scallions, chopped
Parsley, chopped, to taste
NOTE: You could substitute the Ro-tel tomatoes with whole or diced tomatoes but add additional pepper and Tabasco.

HOW TO

1. Melt butter in a heavy 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes.
   Slowly add the Ro-tel tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Turn heat up a little more and stir well.
   Add the garlic, Tabasco, chipotle pepper, sugar and salt.
2. When corn seems to be cooked (approx. 25 minutes), add the heavy cream. Cook a little longer (10-15 minutes) then add the scallions and parsley. Let set a few minutes before serving.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Apples
From Chef Linda Jacobs, Soup to Nuts Caterers
 
INGREDIENTS
3 or 4 acorn squash (depending on size)
1 or 2 apples, sliced thin (coring and peeling is optional)
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp butter
 
HOW TO

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Cut squash in half and take out the seeds. Thin-slice apples. Toss cinnamon and brown sugar with apples. Place apple mixture in center hole of squash. Top with butter.
3. Place on sheet pan and bake in oven for 45 – 60 minutes or until the squash is soft to the prick of knife (like potatoes).

Suggestion: Save the seeds and cook them at about 275°F or 300°F until dry.  Eat as nutritious snack.

Apple Cranberry Sage Dressing  
From Chef David Zukerman, Earl’s Bucks County

INGREDIENTS
1 loaf French Bread, day-old, cubed
9 oz. Chicken stock
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
2 medium Spanish onions, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 oz. unsalted butter, cubed
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and medium diced
9 oz. dried cranberries, chopped
2 oz. fresh sage
Freshly ground salt
Freshly ground black pepper

HOW TO

1. Soak bread in the chicken stock, egg and milk until absorbed.
2. Sauté onions in the butter until translucent. Add the apples and celery and continue cooking until the apples begin to soften (7 to 8 minutes). Remove from the heat and cool.
3. Combine the onion, celery and apple mixture with the soaked bread. Fold in the herbs, dried cranberries and seasoning.
4. Place dressing in baking pan and bake for 40 minutes at 375°F. Check for doneness.

Cranberry Port Gelée
From Canal House Cooking: Volume 2 by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

Makes about 2 cups

Use a good port or red wine or even a Madeira if that’s what you have on hand. Cranberries have so much natural pectin that this sauce will set up even if you don’t refrigerate it.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup port
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp juniper berries
10 black peppercorns
4 cups or 1 bag fresh cranberries
 
HOW TO

1. Put the port, sugar, juniper berries and peppercorns into a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the cranberries burst and are very soft, about 10 minutes more.
2. Strain the sauce into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing the solids through the screen with a rubber spatula. Transfer to a pretty serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Related posts:

1. A few of my favorite things
2. Heaven on a Soup Plate
3. Canal House Cooking